Scaling Up Business Podcast

What is the best way to grow and scale professional service firms? Today’s guest sold one company for $162 million. He has the experience and the answers.   Greg Alexander is the founder of Collective 54, the first mastermind community dedicated exclusively to thriving professional services firms with big aspirations. He authored the best-selling book “The Boutique: How to Start, Scale, and Sell a Professional Services Firm,” and founded the company Collective 54, an EO that is focused on a single industry.   If you’re thinking about pricing from a cost basis, you’re thinking about yourself like a commodity. With a shift in mindset, you can consider the value that you’re creating and the problem that you’re solving. Thinking about it from that standpoint can change everything.   Greg calls pricing an underleveraged lever, especially in professional services. Rather than throwing out a number and hoping that your client is willing to pay it, talk with them about the total value they will gain from your service

Mastery begins with giving up that you’ll ever be finished. When Bill gave up thinking that he would one day become a superhuman who could stop working on himself, he committed himself to a lifetime of learning and development.   As a result, he recognized that he would never be finished. Never finished means working on improving yourself until you take your last breath. There will always be someplace or way that you can improve yourself, and you will only begin to master yourself when you recognize that your efforts can never fully be done. Embrace the discomfort that comes with growth, because when you feel it, it only means that you are about to learn something new. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortlist (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne Harnish and our team for Scaling Up Coaches (formerly Gazelles). We share how the fastest-growing companies succeed w

You’re always working to elevate your company, but how can you get your team to come along for the ride? Today’s episode focuses on the intersection of people, leadership, and execution, especially in remote companies.   Robert Glazer is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Acceleration Partners, the premier global partner marketing agency that has won over 30 awards for its world-class company culture. He leads a fully-remote team of over 270 people.   Robert is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of books on topics such as peak performance, personal growth, partner marketing, and excelling in the world of remote work.   A lot of companies are playing defense in their team strategy right now. After the exhaustion of the pandemic, companies are struggling to focus on healthy, sustainable growth. How can you build your team up holistically in ways that benefit the individual as well as the company?   Pandemic hangover is still very much present, so how can leaders get their teams back

There isn’t only a flywheel in business, there is a flywheel for you as a leader as well. There are four key skills that leaders can employ at every stage of growth.   First, start with your why. What is the deep meaning that helps you grow the company? Purpose and vision are inspiring and can help people get excited about what the future could be.   Second, consider what’s in it for you. Engagement is a decision in action. People who are engaged not only know their role in what can be done, they are ready to make it happen.   Next, bring effective planning practices into the game. Start with the end in mind, consider what could go wrong, and deal with setbacks.   And finally, offer great coaching. A great coach listens more, providing a space for insights, and reminds their team of the reasons they were inspired in the first place.   If you’re feeling stuck, consider where you are in the leadership flywheel, where you can jump back in, and how you can create leaders who create leaders.   Resources: 20,000 Sc

What is a sales playbook, and how can it change the way you develop a powerful company culture? A sales playbook is designed to help deliver the kind of results you are aiming for.   Morné Smit has spent his life elevating respect for sales and marketing professionals in dozens of companies across 28-plus industries on three continents.   Developing from a salesperson to leading sales teams in six different industries, including spearheading a 10X growth outcome over five years in a mid-market property company, Morné gained invaluable insight, knowledge, and experience over two decades that brought him to found Emerse in 2017.   Too many fledgling companies have figured out how to grow fast but without a decent profit or a predictable growth trajectory. With an effective sales book, you can not only grow sales fast but profitably and predictably too. Systematic, repeatable sales — not rockstar salespeople — are the key to top-level performance.   Morné highlights the successes he has seen from companies that

Leading from purpose is the one thing that makes the greatest difference. What you care about and why you do the work you do matters more than just about anything else.   Your company has its purpose, but that is most likely not the same as your life purpose. In late 2001, Bill had accomplished every one of the goals he had set for his life, but he was still feeling miserable and stuck. With the help of a coach, he began considering what he really wanted to be known for at the end of his life. How do you want to be remembered? When you know your why, it becomes much easier to evolve into a leader who makes a difference. By using your strengths and also highlighting the things that bring the greatest fulfillment, you will be able to focus on what really matters to you in the long run. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortlist (use code scaleup) Scaling Up is the best-selling book by Verne H

Consider your potential, the potential of your people, and the potential of your company. If you’re not looking for ways to develop potential all around, chances are you are missing out on major opportunities.   Joanna Bloor is a career futurist, multi-time TED speaker, and author of Tales of Potential: The Cinderella Story You Haven’t Heard. She has joined the podcast to discuss tactics for unlocking potential to become the best version of yourself as a leader or draw out the best in your team.   The nature of the workforce is continually changing, but one badge of honor always seems to stick — being busy. Too many people consider being busy the greatest measure of their productivity, but what if we can transform perceived busy-ness into harnessing greater potential?   In Cinderella’s story, the key to her success wasn’t the appearance of her fairy godmother. Her preparation, consistency, and leadership skills laid the foundation for her success long before she was faced with a pumpkin that turned into a coa

Are you willing to pass the baton on to the next leaders of your company? Or are you hanging on too long? Empowering leaders develop leaders who can develop leaders. If you’re hanging on too much or micromanaging your team, you are not developing yourself or others into effective leaders. If you want a strong, thriving company, you need to work to develop leaders that you can pass the baton on to.   Years ago Bill was doing a lot of things right in his business, but he still couldn’t manage to break away for any extended period. Still, he was committed to a family vacation, so he asked himself regularly to become more hands-off. For a year, he worked to ask his team how they would solve their problems if he was not there. By empowering his team to come up with their own solutions, he was effectively passing the baton. Without micromanaging leaders to do all of the work, teams are empowered to thrive. Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a

Wake up your emotional intelligence so you can be a better leader. If you want to develop your business, you have to be willing to develop yourself. Emotional intelligence goes hand-in-hand with successful leadership.   Dr. Robert Hernandez is a Jungian-trained, licensed psychologist who helps HR departments identify, assess, and develop strong, emotionally intelligent leaders. His work focuses on ego-Self axis leadership through the lens of emotional intelligence.   Authentic, not overpowering, authority is the leadership style that will connect you with your team in meaningful ways. Projecting higher, louder energy isn’t nearly as effective as simply projecting a passion for the work and change you are working for.   To tune into your passion, consider the following questions: What do you like about the message you are trying to share? What excites you about the possibilities associated with your message? What do you care about? If you don’t have clear answers, you need to listen to the suggestions in this

Leaders in action occasionally get upset and want to quit. How can you handle angry people with big complaints? Deeper listening is the key.   Bill had a client who got into a fight with another manager. After listening deeply to his grievances, Bill was able to explore curiosity around the other manager in the fight, which then gave space for the angry manager to do so as well. When he did, he was able to go deeper and consider why the other manager might have gotten so upset. With greater compassion, he was able to address the real issue at hand.   Behind every complaint is something virtuous. When you can point to the virtue amidst the complaint, understanding and effective change can take place. If you can stop fighting for your own position and consider what the other person is asking for, the underlying virtue can be addressed.   Dealing with upset people can rapidly be shifted when you listen for and name the unspoken value that they are fighting for.   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Se

Effective coaches have to be able to help people level up without having them reject that coaching. But how can you do that?   Bill had the opportunity to coach a CEO who was completely burnt out on his work. By showing genuine curiosity about the cause behind the leader’s change of heart, Bill was able to help him find new passion and purpose in the work he was doing. Rather than just pumping a leader up, curiosity can create a space for a leader to receive coaching without feeling like it’s being forced upon them.   A great coach is looking for growth. Take it from Anthony Nelson at Premier Restoration Hawaii — leaders have a great vision that they are excited to share with their team. They’re looking for ways to help level their people up beyond what they can see for themselves at any given moment.   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortlist (use code scaleup)   Scaling Up is the best-

Business, like life, has a great way of handing you a smack upside the head. It can throw you off, but improv is all about embracing what is instead of resisting it.   Erin Diehl is the founder of improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn, and grow. They bring improv and more to companies to help them level up.   How can improv help you improve your day-to-day business? The opportunities for improv and humor in general can be found throughout your workday. Whether someone is heckling you during a presentation or throws you off with an unexpected question during a pitch, staying sharp will get you through whatever comes your way. Improv is simply a way to postpone the judgment of yourself first. You do have the answers, and you can use humor to create an energy and bond with your audience.   When you free up more room for play in your mind, you have less room for self-doubt. Even if you are in a room full of executives, if you can listen and respond in a humorous

“Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.” We may agree with Winston Churchhill, but how is this possible? How can plans themselves be of such little value but planning is indispensable?   Plans have a purpose — they bring the team together and begin the execution process, but then things inevitably change. Ideally, we are constantly creating new plans because it is in the act of planning that plans are made.   Finding the balance between planning and executing is essential to getting the job done and growing your business. Don’t worry about figuring it out yourself, just follow the footsteps of so many who have come before you. Annual strategy planning, quarterly updates, weekly adjustments, daily huddles, and one-on-one coaching are all part of an effective planning process.   The secret to planning success? Getting the rhythm right. If there isn’t a predictable cadence to your meetings, you aren’t going to experience the success that planning can offer. Create a predictable rhythm that yo

Cameron Herold is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and has earned his reputation as the business growth guru. He has built a dynamic consultancy with clients that include a monarchy and a Big 4 wireless company. Cameron discusses his new book The Second in Command.   As second in command, COOs are often in place for a reason or a season, but rarely for the lifetime of a company. The COO takes care of everything that the CEO doesn’t love (or isn’t good at) and they serve as their main confidant. Like the yin and yang, the COO works not to duplicate, but to counterbalance the efforts of the CEO.   From his early days at 1-800-GOT-JUNK to his work with scaling up million dollar companies, Cameron has defined the second in command as a partner who has a shared vision but not the same strengths.   Cameron highlights the steps CEOs need to take to build out and identify their second in command based on the current needs of the company and the long-term vision of the company. Bottom li

“Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face.” Wise words from Mike Tyson, but too many entrepreneurs are afraid to talk about all of the things that can go wrong when scaling up. This is a mistake.   Consider the Apollo 13 mission. Earlier probing and considerations about failure are what made it possible for the astronauts to return safely back to Earth. Without those conversations and preparations for possible failure, Apollo 13 would not have turned into the success story it was.   Don’t avoid the possibility that something is going to go wrong, because something IS going to go wrong. Probe deeply about it and create a contingency plan to prepare for it. If there are people on your team who are constantly questioning what could go wrong, thank them! Empower them to help expand the vision of success by giving a voice to their concerns, and then enjoy the results of that planning when things go off script.   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during

Hiring today seems more complicated than ever before, but finding the right fit for your position doesn’t have to be a long and cumbersome process. You just have to be willing to put the work in to find the top performers.    Dr. Brad Smart is widely regarded as a world expert on hiring and is a renowned consultant to many leading companies and SMBs. He is the creator of Topgrading and author of Foolproof Hiring: Powerful, Fully Proven Keys to Hiring Mostly High Performers.   Dr. Brad was shocked to learn in the early years of his career that only 1 out of 3 employees at his company were considered top performers. He knew there had to be a better way to identify and hire more top performers, and Topgrading was born.   Employers save time and money by using the Topgrading approach. The robust and thorough process provides a prescreening snapshot that sifts out the best applicants and gets A players hired.   The job scorecard is another critical piece of the effective hiring process. Break down what the job ent

When you’re planning to scale your business in a way that’s never been done before, you have to follow Stephen Covey’s advice — begin with the end in mind. Start your planning from a future state where you can look back at how you got there.   Planning for the first moon landing began in the 1950s, long before those first steps were taken in 1969. No matter how extraordinary your vision of success is, it has to start with envisioning that mountaintop and how exactly you are going to get there.   Bill had an experience with a company that was only working toward the goal of selling their company. Once they looked beyond that to consider the long-term vision and success of those who bought the company, they were able to create a much more compelling story for investors and buyers. Not surprisingly, the company’s valuation increased as a result.   Even if you have an endgame that you’re attached to, try to look beyond that. Play through to create an even better long-term vision of where you want your company to

Leaders love to hear yes, but they have to be comfortable hearing no. Even the expectation of hearing no can throw you off and result in more nos, so how can you get more yeses? Bill has a few ideas. Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Vincent Van Gogh, and countless other success stories are littered with multiple rejections, and yet they still succeeded, in part because they didn’t give up the first time they heard a no. Do you really need to get offended when you are rejected? Or take it personally? Or can you use it as an opportunity? If you’re expecting to hear no, create different scenarios in which you can expect to hear a yes, or even a maybe. Get to a place where you can play with the doors that open up from hearing no. When you’re in a place where you can be playful and engaging in the face of no, you will be more prepared when you finally hear yes.   Resources: 20,000 Scaleups Scaling Up Summits (Select Bill Gallagher as your coach during registration for a discount.) Bill on YouTube Recruiter.com Shortl

One of the single biggest frustrations and financial losses many companies face is selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Today’s guest uses his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to figure out who is most likely to win in sales.   Dr. Chris Croner is an entrepreneur, sales psychologist, and author. He has developed a system for identifying salespeople with the drive to succeed, helping businesses build better sales teams while avoiding underperformers.   Too many managers hire salespeople who are motivated by money when they should be looking for someone who is motivated by excellence. Much like an athlete looks at the score on the scoreboard as a reflection of how well they’ve done, the best salespeople consider the money they make nothing more than a byproduct of their achievements, not the achievement itself.   One of the most important human needs is fulfilling a purpose. That personal drive is a much more compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning t

What is the number one thing that gets in the way of successful leaders? Surprise — the answer is you. Too often leaders are the reason that commitment and action just aren’t happening. If you want more action out of your people, partners, and customers, set your fears and doubts about yourself aside. Bill had a conversation with a CEO who was struggling to raise his rates but was also struggling with his perception of himself based on his childhood experiences. Bill’s suggestions for this man gave him the opportunity to see himself in a new light, which resulted in success all around. Too often our personal doubts and concerns get in the way of our success. When you’re focusing on yourself and not on the people you’re trying to do business with, you just can’t be nearly as effective. But when you are comfortable with yourself and focused on the other person, success is almost guaranteed. Increase your self-awareness. Deal with your insecurities, but set them aside whenever you are supposed to be focusing on